Machine for overcasting



J. J. CURRAN MACHINE FOR OVERCASTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001:. 241922 J. J. CURRAN MACHINE FOR OVERCASTING Filed Oct. 24. 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

JOHN J. CUR-RAN, OF WEST 'I-IAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR OVERCASTING.

Application ,filed October 24, .1 22. (Serial No. 526,578.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JO N J. 'CURBAN, a citizen of the United States,residing .at West Haven, in the county of New .Haven and .State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines forzOvercasting'; and ,do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the characters ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings-constitute partof this application,and represent, 1n

Fig. 1a view in side elevation of one form which a machine embodying myinvention may assume, with a bag shown by broken lines in position tohave its mouth entered into it for beingovercast or sewed up by anovercast stitch.

Fig. 2 a view in end elevation ofthe receiver-end of the .machine.

Fig. 3 ;a corresponding view of the delivery-end of the machine.

Fig. 4 a view of the machine on the line H of Fig. 1.

Fig. .5 a view in elevation of the helical overcast-mg needle.

Fig. 6 an end view thereo=f,-'looking toward its point.

Fig. '7 a corresponding .view, looking toward iits .tln'e-ad-carryinghead.

Fig.8 a view in elevation,-showinga bag as overcast in the machine.

Fig. -9 a -.view after the ends of the twine have been manuallytiedtoform-ears at the ends of the .mouth of the bag.

Fig. 1.0 a broken detail end view of the head of the needle.

Fig. 11 a corresponding side view thereof.

Fig. 12 a sectional view thereof on the line Il2l2 of Fig. 11.

1F ig. 13 ,a. broken view in perspective of ase ction of a modified formthat the overcasting needle may assume.

My invention relates to, an improved machine for closing by overcastingthe mouths of bags or sacks containing grain, meal, feed, fertilizer,sugar, p0tatoes, and agreat variety ofinerchandise marketed in bags orsacks, theobject being to produce asimple, convenient, durable andrapidly-operating machine constructed for closing the-mouths of bags orsacks by that :form of sewing known as overcasting, which combines thesecurity of chain-stitch sewing and is, atthe same time, far ,moreeasily removed than the same, without destroying or mutilating thefabric of ,the bag or sack.

\Vith these ends in view, my invention consists in a sewing machinehaving a helical over-casting needle of. the character described andcertain other details of construction as will be hereinafter describedand pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out =1ny invention, as herein shown, I employ a cylindricalhelical overcastingneedle 15- provided .at its forward end with a point.16, and formed upon the outer face or periphery of its opposite end orhead witha thread pick-up and carrying hook or equivalent device 17turned inward- 1y .with respect to the said point 16, and produced by atransverse undercut 18 flanked on either side by complementarythreadreceiving grooves 19, respectively .receiving theopposite reachesot'a piece-of threador twine 20, of predetermined length, and al-.lowing the same to lie within the diameter of the needle, so as not toobstruct the passage of the vhead thereof through thefabric of a bag orsack -21, it being understood that .what I have here designated. as thehead of .my :improved helical overcasting needle correspondsto theeye ofan ordinary needle, in so far as the eye of a common needle is theportionthereof which carries the thread. Bylocatingthe hook 17 upon theperiphery otthe head-end of the needle, it is adapted to pick up thethread without stopping-the needle, which thus becomes self-threading.Such a helical needle 15, having more or less convolutions as desired,is supported and driven by a plurality of smooth or ungrooved,cylindrical parallel rolls positioned so as to confine or cage it'and.so'asto have frictional engagement with the peripheries of itsconvolutions. The nu-inberof these rollsmaybe varied as desired, andone'or more or all of them may be utilized jfor driving the needle. Asherein shown, I employ an upper roll'22and OPPOSltBlY-lO- catedlowerrolls '23 and 24. These. rolls arejo-urnaled at their ends-intheend-plates or-uprights 25 and-26 of a machine-frame comprisingalsohorizontal cross-pieces 27,

iii

. size.

but the character and construction of the machine-frame is not of theessence of my present invention. The inner ends of the said rollsproject through the end-plate or upright 26 and are respectivelyprovided with pinions 28, 29 and 80, all of the same An idler-pinion 31,interposed between the pinion 28 and the pinion 29, pro vides fordriving the roll 28 in the same direction as the roll 22, while anidler-pinion 82, interposed between the pinion 28 and the pinion 30,provides for driving the roll 24 in the same direction as the rolls 22and 23. The projecting end of the roll 22 also carries a gear 33 meshinginto and driven by a pinion 34 turning with a driving gear 35 mounted ona stud 36 carried by a bracket 37 rising between the cross-plates 27 of,the machine-frame from the endplate 26.

As shown, the rolls 22, 23 and 24 are located at the three corners of atriangle and constitute, as it were, a cage for the confinement andsupport of the needle, which they hold against lateral displacement inany direction, while it is prevented from substantial longitudinal oraxial displacement by the end-plates 25 and 26 of the machineframc. Thenumber of rolls may be varied as desired, and it is not necessary thatall of them shall be utilized for driving the needle, but as many as areso utilized must be rotated in the same di rection.

As shown, provision is made for adjusting the roll 24 by providing itsends with bushings 38, which have limited movement in slightly elongatedslots 39 in the upright frame-pieces 25 and 26, mountingadjusting-screws 40 impinging against the said bushings for adjustingthe roll with reference to the helical needle, whereby the tensionimposed upon the outer peripheral surfaces of the convolutions thereofmay be varied as desired.

As herein shown, also, I employ a guardroll 41 journaled at its ends inthe inner ends of two heavy, complementary, pivotal mounting-arms 42hung upon studs 43 in the frame-pieces 25 and 26 and provided at theirouter ends with set-screws 44 having locking-nuts 45 and engaging withabutments 46 offsetting from the said framepieces 25 and 26. The saidguard-roll 41 is located substantially below the needle, in closeproximity thereto, but not in engagement therewith, on that side of thevertical longitudinal center of the machine toward which the bottom ofthe needle rotates, as shown in Fig. 4. The function of this roll is toguard against the undue displacement of the mouth of the bag, in passingthrough the machine, due to the drag of the needle and thread. For thispurpose the guard-roll 4 is turned in the opposite direction from therolls 22, 23 and 24, by means of a pininon 47 mounted upon itsprojecting rear end and meshing into the pinion 29 of the roll 23. It isintended that the peripheral speed of the guard-roll 41 shall be atleast equal to the peripheral speed of the needle. It is not, however,essential to drive the guard-roll, as a fixed guard would serve the samepurpose, though perhaps less efficiently.

By preference and as shown, the rolls 22, 23 and 24 are formed at theirends with concaved annular guard-flanges 48 to assist in preventing theaxial diplacement of the needle.

To provide a passage through the machine for the mouth of the bag orsack to be overcast, the end-plates 25 and 26 are respectively providedwith oppositely-placed, vertical bag clearance openings 49 and 50,preferably extending upward above the axis of the needle andsubstantially centrally located between the rolls 23 and 24. Theguard-flanges 48 aforesaid, adjacent to the bag-clearance opening 49,prevent the entrance thereinto of the pointed end of the helical needlein case of its bodily axial displacement in the direction of the saidopening. They also resist any tendency which may exist for the point ofthe needle to enter the said opening, in which case the needle would bedeformed or broken and the machine stopped.

In the use of my improved machine, the operator or sewer preferablytakes a previously cut piece of thread or twine 20 of suitable lengthand engages it near one of its ends with the hook 17, on the head end ofthe rotating needle, as the same passes the clearance-opening 50 in theend-plate 26. The twine having been thus engaged with the needle, thesewer lets go of it and guides the mouth of the bag into the clearanceopening 49, in the end-plate 25, and, there fore, into the path of thepoint of the needle. which pierces the bag at regularly spacedintervals, corresponding to the spacing of the convolutions, as themouth of the bag is moved from front to rear through the machine. Afterall of the convolutions of the needle have passed through the bag, the

needle begins to draw the twine through the openings already pierced inthe bag, in the manner of overc-asting in hand sewing, The. piece oftwine 20 is adapted in length not only to close the mouth of the bag,but to leave twofastening ends 51: 51, as shown in Fig. 8. These aremanually hitched around the corners of the bag, as shown in Fig. 9,producing the ears 52: 52 by which the bag 21 is handled.

I am thus, by my improved overcasting machine, enabled to simulatehand-sewn overcast bags, which are greatly preferred by the consumer toordinary machinesewn bags, inasmuch as overcasting is not only fareasier to remove than chain stitching", but also may be removed withoutany mutilation of the fabric-of the bag or sack.

In Fig. 13 I have shown a needle of triangular, rather than round,cross-section, such a needle being also adapted to be peripherallydriven.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the particularconstruction shown and described herein, as the details thereof may bechanged in many respects without departing from my invention, which ischaracterized by the employment of a helical overcasting needle formedat one end with a point and at its opposite end with a peripheral threadpick-up and carry ing hook in its butt or head, and suitably supportedand driven together with means at its pointed end for preventing thesame from entering the bag-clearance opening adj acentthereto. I havedescribed the manual threading of the needle by previously cut lengthsof twine, but, of course, the twine might be cut off from. a source ofsupply, after the overcasting operation, or the twine might beautomatically fed and severed, all without departing from my invention.\Vhile my improved machine was primarily designed for overcoating bags,sacks, and the like, it might be used for other overcasting purposes.

I claim:

1. In a machine for overcasting bags, the combination with a frameprovided with bag-clearance openings, of a plurality of rolls mounted inthe said frame, a helical overcasting needle pointed at one end andprovided at its opposite end with a peripheral threadpick-np-and-carrying hook, interposed between the said rolls and drivenby one of them, and means located adjacent to the pointed end of theneedle for preventing the same from entering the bag-clearance openingadjacent thereto, the said opening extending inward toward the axis ofthe needle, beyond the path described by the point thereof.

2. In a machine for overcasting bags, the combination with a frameprovided with bag-clearance openings, of a plurality of ungrooved rollsmounted in the said frame, a helical overcasting needle pointed at oneend and provided at its opposite end with a peripheral threadpick-up-and-carrying hook, interposed between the said rolls and drivenby one of them, and means located adjacent to the pointed end of theneedle for preventing the same from entering the bag-clearance openingadjacent thereto, the said opening extending inward toward the axis ofthe needle beyond the path described by the point thereof.

In a machine for overcasting bags, the combination with a frame providedwith bag clear'ance openings, of a plurality of ungrooved cylindricalrolls mounted in the said frame, a cylindrical helical overcast ingneedle pointed at one end andprovided at its opposite end with aperipheral thread pick-up-and carrying hook, interposed between the saidrolls and driven by one" of them, and means located adjacent to thepointed end of the needle for preventing the same from entering thebag-clearance opening adjacent thereto, the said opening extendinginward toward the axis of the needle beyond the path described by thepoint thereof.

4;. In a machine for overcasting bags, the combination with a frameprovided with bag-clearance openings, of a plurality of ungrooved rollsmounted in the, said frame, a helical overcasting needle pointed at oneend and provided at its opposite end with a peripheral threadpick-up-and-carrying hook, interposed between the rolls and driven byone of them, and a flange located upon one of the rolls adjacent to thepointed end of the needle for preventing the same from entering thebag-clearance opening adjacent thereto, the said opening extendinginward toward the axis of the needle, beypnd the path described by thepoint there- 0 5. In a machine for overcasting bags, the combinationwith a frame provided with two bag-clearance openings, of a plurality ofungrooved cylindrical rolls mounted in the said frame, a cylindricalhelical overcasting needle point-ed at one end and provided at itsopposite end with a peripheral thread pick-up-and-carrying hook,interposed between the said rolls and driven by one of them, and meanslocated adjacent to the pointed end of the needle for preventing thesame from entering the bag-clearance opening adjacent thereto, the saidopening extending inward toward the axis of the needle, beyond the pathdescribed by the point thereof.

6. In a machine for overcasting bags, the combination with a frameprovided with two bag-clearance openings, of a plurality of ungroovedcylindrical rolls mounted in the frame, a cylindrical helicalovercasting needle pointed at one end and provided at its opposite endwith a peripheral thread pick-up-and-carrying hook, interposed be tweenthe said rolls and driven by one of them, and flanges located on therolls adjacent to the respective bag-clearance openings for preventingthe axial displacement of the needle.

'7. In a machine for overcasting bags, the combination with a framehaving two frame-plates respectively provided with aligned bag-clearanceopenings, of a plurality of ungrooved cylindrical rolls mounted in thesaid frame, a cylindrical helical overcasting needle pointed at one endand provided at its opposite end with aperipheral threadpick-up-and-carrying hook, interposed between the said rolls and drivenby one of them, and means located adjacent to the pointed end of theneedle for preventing the same from entering the bagclearance openingadjacent thereto, the said opening extending inward toward the axis ofthe needle beyond the path described by 10 the point thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN J. CURRAN. Vitnesses J. D. ROCHE, J. A. HOLT.

